Object

End the game with the most points. You'll do this by making a tower that strikes the right balance of height and width. At the end of the game, you'll score the single floor in your tower that's worth the most points, plus a special bonus. The value of a floor is the number of blocks it has, multiplied by its level (how far it is from the bottom). For example, if the 7th floor has 9 blocks in it, it's worth (7 times 9) 63 points. The special bonus depends on saving a special resource; the rules explain this in depth.

You Need

• An UpTower play sheet and pen or pencil for each player.
• A six-sided die,

Setup

Ensure that everyone has an UpTower play sheet and a writing implement.

Put the die in easy reach of at least one player.

Play

You don't take turns in UpTower. Everyone takes their turn at the same time. When everyone's done taking their turn, you check to see if the game's over and it it's not, start the next turn.

At the start of a turn, have someone roll the die, then have all players do the following:

• Find the UpTower piece on your UpTower sheet that matches the number rolled. Examples: The 2x2 square is piece #1 and the 1x4 piece is #5. This is the "rolled piece."
• Mark the current turn number in one of the rolled piece's empty blocks. Ex: It's the third turn and the roll was a "6." You put a "3" in one of the empty blocks for the 2x3 "S" piece If there are no empty spaces, write the turn number directly below the gray dot under the number for the rolled piece and keep in mind that this is the last turn of the game.
• "Drop" the rolled piece piece onto your playfield. If you're familiar with the classic video game that uses pieces on a board like this, you know almost exactly how this works. The rolled piece comes straight down from the top of the playfield and stops when any part of it hits a piece that's already there.There are a few extra rules, though...
  • Every block of your newly-added piece must have direct support all the way down to the bottom – no gaps. If this makes it impossible for you to place the piece, you'll have to place one of your "at will" pieces to make it work. (If that won't work either, you'll have to forfeit placing any pieces this turn.) The next bullet explains "at will" pieces.
  • "At Will" pieces: Each turn you may place one (and only one) "at will" piece. You may do this before or after you place the rolled piece. To do this, put the current turn number in the empty gray circle underneath the number of the piece you want to place, then place that piece, obeying all the rules for a normal rolled piece. Ex: If it's turn 7 and I want to place a revered "L", I'd write "7" in the gray circle under the "#2" next to the reverse "L" on my play sheet. 
    Note that if you can not place the rolled piece, you must use an at will piece to make it valid. If you can not (you've already used all valid at will pieces), you may not place any pieces that turn.
  • No flipping. You can rotate the piece (as shown on your play sheet), but you can not flip it.

Ending the Game and Winning

If you had to write the turn number under a gray dot because all of a pieces' empty spaces were full, the game is over and it's time to score.

If someone filled one or more squares of the 15th (topmost) floor, the game is over and it's time to score.

If the game is not over, start a new round and roll the die!

Your score is the value of your highest-scoring floor + your bonus points.

Your floors score the number of filled spaces on the floor, multiplied by the level of the floor. If you have four filled spaces on the 11th floor, and eight filled spaces on the 8th floor, which one's worth more? The 8th floor's worth more: 64 points vs. 44 points for the11th floor.

You score bonus points depending on how many unused gray "at will" piece circles you have at game's end. Score 21 points for not using any at will pieces, 15 points for five unused at will pieces, 10 points for four, five points for three, three points for two, and one point for one unused piece.

The player with the highest score wins. If there's a tie, play one more round and score again.

Origin and Credits

Per my notes from 2020/07/18...

Tetris, but:

• Roll-and-write.

• Pieces come straight down, no side-slipping.

• All blocks must have direct support.

• No flipping. (You’re allowed to rotate the pieces, though.)

• Completed rows stay in play.

Each level scores level # times # of blocks on that floor.

Highest single level score is your score, plus your unused “at will” bonus (below).

Roll the common piece die. Each player must add that piece to their board.

Each player may use each piece one time “at will,” but only once per turn. If you can not place the common die piece, you must use an at will piece to make it valid. If you can not (you already used all valid at will pieces), you may not place any pieces that turn.

Blocks: 2x2, 3x1 (left and right), “S” (left and right), 4x1.

Play ends when any piece is rolled 5 times or after 30 rounds. Play out the final round. Score your single best row. You get a score bonus for your unused at will pieces: 1=1,2=3,3=6,4=10, 5=15,6=21. If tied, play one more round and score again.